Telephone lock device



c. v. RICHEY 2,202,965

TELEPHONE LOCK DEVICE Filed Jne 22, 1,939

Patented June 4, 1940 PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE L CK DEVICE Charles V. Richey, Jamaica, N. Y.

f Application June 22, 2 claims.

This invention relates to telephone lock device and more particularly to a device which may be readily attached to or detached from the dial of an automatic telephone.

It is a common practice to have telephones listed under the names of particular individuals which are answered by some other person, particularly in the absence of the person in Whose name the phone may be listed. In such use, it is desirable to receive incoming calls, but there is no reason for using the phone for the purpose `of sending outgoing calls. In order to allow the phone to be used in this manner, it may be necessary to lock the dial against use.

One object of this invention is to provide a locking means adapted for use in connection with automatic dial telephones. Another object is to provide a locking device which can be applied to a dial telephone without requiring any reorganisation or change in the standard equipment of the phone. Another object is to provide a relatively inexpensive device of the type described.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in` the various figures- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dial telephone device having assembled therewith a locking device incorporating features of this invention;

Figure 2 presents an enlarged partial plan view showing the device assembled with respect to the dial;

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal cross Sectio-n of the dial and locking means substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse cross section of the locking means taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a horizontal partial cross section of the latch barrel of the device.

Considering the drawing in greater detail, the invention is shown in a preferred form, particularly in Figure 1, as applied to a dial type phone of the so-called French or foreign type in which the mouthpiece and receiver are combined in one structure. The base Il! has mounted thereon the switch compartment I2 upon which is rotatably mounted the dial element I4 having a plurality of finger openings I6 adapted for use in manually dialing a number. The usual card carrying member I8 which contains the telephone number or other appropriate data is snapped upon the upper surface or face of the dial. The customary nger 1939, Serial No. 280,633

stop is secured at 22 through one flange 24 thereof to the switch housing I2 and has a horizontally extending arm 26 serving specifically as the finger stop portion per se of the device. In normal use, the person using the phone places 5 a finger in one of the openings I6 and moves the dial I4 in a clockwise direction until the finger strikes the nger stop 20 at which time the dial is released and returns to its normal position.

The locking means indicated generally at 28 10 includes relatively movable parts. A plate member 30 is provided with a downwardly turned arcuate flange 32 which is arranged to slip through one of the openings I5, more particularly the end or last opening 34 and to engage the dial 15 disc I4 as clearly observed in Figure 3. The outer extremity of this plate comprises an angularly extending portion 36 which is substantially flat and rectangular in transverse section, as seen in Figure 4. A downwardly extending pin 38 is formed integral with or secured to the plate and extends downwardly therefrom in the same general direction as does the flange 32.

The other part of the locking device comprises an outer barrel 40 having a latching or lock 25 cylinder 42 rotatably mounted therein. This device insofar as the relative movement between the barrel and its cylinder may be very simple with the barrel being peened over as at `44 and 46 to hold the cylinder within the longitudinal limits of the barrel.

The barrel is provided with a rectangular slot 48 extending part way through the barrel as readily seen in Figures 2 and 3. The vertical slot 35 50 connects with the horizontal slot and is arranged so as to provide a passage for the pin 38 when the plate and latching elements` are being assembled together.

The cylinder 42 as more readily seen inFigure 40 5 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 52 which latter extends part way along the outer surface of the cylinder. It then extends about the transverse periphery of the cylinder as clearly seen at 54 in Figure 5. The cylinder is provided 45 with a key slot 56 so that the cylinder can be rotated on its axis within the barrel to lock the plate and pin therein or for rotation in the opposite direction to press the slots 52 and. 50 in alignment so that the pin may be removed from the 50 latching device.

The barrel is also provided with a slot 58 which extends transversely of the barrel and which is preferably positioned between the slot 48 and the cylinder 42. This latter slot is arranged to receive the outer periphery of the dial disc I4 as may beobserved in Figure 3.

When it is desired to lock a dial phone against use, the plate member 3G is released from the lock combination and is moved under the finger stop 2G and tilted slightly so that the flange 32, which latter is less than 180, may then be inserted in the opening 34 and caught about the edge of the latter. The barrel is then brought into position so that the part 36 rides in the slot 48 with the pin 38 moving through the combined slot 5D and 52. At the time the pin 38 reaches the inner end of its movement, the periphery of disc I4 will be engaged or gripped within the transverse slot 58. At such time the key in the key slot 56 can be turned thereby partly rotating the cylinder 42 and locking the pin 38 against longitudinal movement with respect to the barrel, With the parts in the position described the plate cannot be withdrawn from the nger hole 34 because the disc I4 is firmly gripped by the barrel and consequently the plate cannot be tilted to release the flange 32. Furthermore, with the device in the position shown, the nger stop 26 prevents the plate from being raised and the disc itself prevents it from being lowered. Since the dial of the phone itself is locked against coun ter clockwise rotation the parts cannot be moved out from under the finger stop.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated and described, variations within the true spirit and scope of the same are to be determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A telephone latching structure comprising a plate having an arcuate flange at one end to pivotally secure the plate in engagement with the nger hole of a telephone dial with the other end of the plate angularly disposed with respect to the main body of the plate so as to extend beyond the edge of a telephone dial and having at its outer end a vertically disposed pin, and a latching barrel comprising an inner cylinder relatively rotatable and an outer portion containing a slot adapted to receive the pin and end portion of the plate and a. second slot to engage the periphery of the dial, the Wall of the inner rotatable cylinder being grooved longitudinally to receive the pin for longitudinal movement of the cylinder and being angularly disposed during a portion of its extent toA receive the pin and thus to prevent longitudinal movement of the inner barrel.

2. A locking device for dial telephones having a dial and a xed finger stop, comprising a plate having an arcuate flange at one end adapted to engage the Wall of a finger hole of the dial, said plate being rotatable about said ange connection with the dial as a pivot and movable under the ixed stop, means slidable on the other end of the plate and arranged to engage the periphery of the dial and to constitute an abutment engaging said nger stop, and locking means for securing the sliding means on the plate.

CHARLES V. RICHEY. 

